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Maryland Sheriff Chides President Obama for Not Attending Funerals of Slain Officers

February 16, 2016
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Carroll County (MD) Sheriff James T. DeWees (Photo: Facebook)

Carroll County (MD) Sheriff James T. DeWees posted on Facebook Saturday morning a letter to the president following the deaths of law enforcement officers across the country, including two sheriff's deputies in Harford County.

The letter reads:

Dear President Obama:

In case you haven’t heard, eight American police officers over the past eight days have been killed in the line of duty. Two of these police officers were Harford County Sheriff’s Deputies that were gunned down at a Panera Restaurant just 50 miles from where you live. I’ve watched and listened intently for words of encouragement and sorrow to come from you, but haven’t heard or seen anything.

Conversely, just two weeks ago my governor, Larry Hogan, spent the better part of a week placing a call each day to one of my deputies that was involved in a severe traffic collision in Carroll County. He wasn’t satisfied with speaking to me in order to send his prayers and regards; he called every day after the collision until he spoke with my deputy’s wife. Governor Hogan also drove to Harford County the day after two deputies were slain to meet Sheriff Gahler and the men & women of his office to grieve with them. The governor is in the middle of the 2016 Legislative Session and is pretty busy, yet found time to call, visit and pay his respects to me & my deputy, and the men & women of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

I understand that you are a busy man and are being pulled in multiple directions every day of the week. But, when my president doesn’t take the time to openly recognize the sacrifices that brave men & women of law enforcement make each day to keep domestic peace, I’m disappointed! I suspect that if these same deputies walked in to a restaurant, and without provocation shot and killed an innocent man, you and your staff would quickly whisk their family away to Washington for a future speech to make an example of police officers nationwide.

For me Mr. President, it has nothing to do with Republican or Democrat; black or white, male or female; but, it has everything to do with leading or following. I’m not shocked that you haven’t openly reached out or acknowledged publically the recent rash of deaths in law enforcement, but I’m tremendously disappointed!

Mr. President, your silence about these events SPEAKS VOLUMES!!!!

PS: I'll be standing outside in the cold next week with my deputies for the funerals of the Harford Co deputies; I'll save you a spot next to me!

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Comments (22)

Displaying 1 - 22 of 22

Percy @ 2/16/2016 3:11 PM

I don't recall any other Pres attending funerals and none of you seemedto mind. What is it about this Pres. that angers all of you so, is there justone thing that's different about him vs all other Presidents?

jojo @ 2/16/2016 3:27 PM

It's the hypocrisy Percy. He uses any shooting for his own benefit to push for gun control or for the DOJ to take over a city, but when it happens the other way not a peep. Do you remember the "Trayvon could of been my son" comment. He is the one who politicizes these things, but when someone calls him out he is now the victim???

tedb @ 2/16/2016 3:38 PM

Yes Percy, there is ONE THING different about this president when compared to the others. None of the rest of them have openly advocated for thugs and criminals, but he has done so at every opportunity. He has even raised some of these gutter criminals to hero levels by his actions, but not a peep about those attempting to preserve society and keep the criminals in line when they lose their lives in the process.

Chuck W @ 2/16/2016 4:19 PM

Hell Percival, this tool can't even be bothered to send one of his minions to the funeral. How many funerals of criminals have one of the presidents men / women attended. Come on perssay, he had a whole freaking beer summit for some college professor at the peoples house and won't even acknowledge when an officer is killed, ambushed, attacked injured. pussy (I mean persee) a tool is a tool is a tool, you have craftsman written permanently across your forehead.

Jon Retired LEO Wyoming @ 2/16/2016 4:35 PM

Bravo to you Sheriff DeWees, well Spoken!!!!!

Leonard Mather @ 2/16/2016 5:39 PM

Kudos to Sheriff DeWees! Percy walks to the beat of a different drummer and is incapable of discerning the uniqueness of the current situation calling upon the President to take a stand on recognizing authority, cooperating with authority and demonstrating to all other that he, the President, is fostering solidarity by being part of the team upholding the law. His presence at the funerals of these and other officers would accomplish that. Percy may never grasp that. Obama SHOULD grasp that, and for some perverted reasons, he has failed.

Leonard @ 2/16/2016 9:45 PM

Cry me a river....poor offended LE. How dare a President acknowledge that a reason a black kid was shot was because of his color, how dare does he acknowledge that a policeman stopped a black man from entering his own home because he was black, how dare he take away militarized vehicles and weapons that have no place on civilian streets, how dare he take away our share of civil asset forfeiture. How dare this black man do these things to us. Give me a break and go change your panties.

guido penza @ 2/17/2016 3:08 AM

Yes Percy, and Leonard, you missed the fact other U.S. Presidents have not chided a nation into revolting against their public safety officers using half-truths and innuendo to agitate the assault on our officers.

Debbie @ 2/17/2016 7:23 AM

How about if thousands send this letter to the White House

Robert @ 2/17/2016 8:30 AM

So, it appears that a Sheriff in Carroll County has bigger political aspirations than Sheriff. I see a 2016 or 2018 run for Congress in someone's future. The letter is basically a political stunt. So refuting it is very easy:1. The President rarely attends funerals outside of the executive branch of the Federal Government. It may not be great, but due to time constraints...that is the way it is.2. The President should attend Military funerals of those KIA, before he attends 1 State/Local LEO funeral. He is the CIC of the Armed forces, and he placed those people in danger. He is NOT the CIC of the local LEO.3. When did the President attend the funeral of anyone killed by LEO?The President has had the DOJ look into certain police (Ferguson, Clev, etc.)... those probes found major, systemic problems...if Ferguson had no problems, then you could complain.This Sheriff demands respect, but does nothing to earn respect..and does not respect the President or the office.

tedb @ 2/17/2016 11:34 AM

Robert,

Excellent points. Now...look up General Harold Green, who was murdered during Obama's reign. Tell us who he sent to that military funeral.

Robert @ 2/17/2016 11:58 AM

Ted, it appears the Secretary of Defense attended the funeral..but the President did not.

tedb @ 2/17/2016 12:45 PM

Robert,

Although I am quite conservative and have been in law-enforcement for almost 50 years, I will also admit when I am wrong. Thank you for the response and, contrary to the e-mails circulating to this day, you are correct. When will I learn to research the facts myself before believing all the crap that is circulating on the internet. I checked SNOPES, then personally checked the citations they provided, including news articles. They are correct and the SECDEF, Chuck HAGEL, did in fact attend the funeral. However, the Pres is also the CIC for executive agencies, and he has not sent reps to funerals for federal officers KIA, such as Brian TERRY. I still object to his sending reps to thugs' funerals and, as a retired fed myself, I am most suspicious when the feds become involved in a local matter, as Bush 41 used them as inquisitors in the Rodney King case, even announcing his intended result when he sent them in after the local jury trial acquitted the officers.

Chuck W @ 2/17/2016 2:02 PM

Lenny / Persee. believe me when I say this, since I don't wear panties I am not really worried about changing anything. I like the vast, vast, vast majority of those in law enforcement have never done harm to anyone we serve or work for. There are those few POS (such as folks like you two) that are parasites, they need to be stomped out just the same as any other parasite. Those of us in the field will readily profess this. you on the other hand scream, yell and berate just to be heard and in an attempt to get a rise so you can sit there in your basement and say "see, I told you." It doesn't work for the most part, the majority of us know exactly who and what you really are. I will once again call you out though liar! Last year you promised that you would never write or respond to any of these L.E. boards again, you promised you were done, yet here you are in all your trash talking glory. you are a liar and I for one trust and respect your words about as much as any other liar.

John retired IA PD @ 2/17/2016 6:43 PM

Having the President attend a funeral, I think, would be a huge distraction for those grieving their loss. But he could certainly do a lot more to improve police / community relations. It seems to be politically correct to blame the police and support the criminal that caused the situation.

Leonard @ 2/17/2016 7:32 PM

@Chuck: I believe you are referring to me but you obviously have me confused with someone else. I assure you there is no one that comments on this site that I would be afraid to debate. Regarding your other asinine comments, I won't even address, they're not worth my time.

Police Lives Matter @ 2/17/2016 11:12 PM

Yes Percy, there is ONE THING different about this president when compared to the others. This anti-American hates cops and promotes the killing of cops in America. Did I mention he also hates Americans, especially American cops.

Peggy @ 2/18/2016 2:38 AM

I for one think the letter from the officer was very well put. This so called president has never been a leader, but a separater. From the git go. He has at the very least some blood on his hands.

Robert @ 2/18/2016 8:30 PM

Tedb..we all find bad information on the internet. I am just happy you did the research; others typically do not. Also, I think it is a valid argument on whether or not the CIC should be there for a 2* general. Of course, then you can argue...what about the PFC killed the same day?

PLM...how is the President Anti-American? Because he is not a Neo-conservative who believes we should be in a constant state of War with everyone who does not agree with us? Because he believes that all lives matter, including dark skinned Muslims with no jobs? You simply don't like the truth that SOME LEO killings/use of force/policies are not justified...and he uses the DOJ to investigate that behavior. Guess what, 90% of what they find is legal...but they find problems too. You just don't believer that even 10% of LEO actions can be illegal

Peggy...there is nothing 'so called' about it. He was elected, you may not like the person or voted for him; but he is still the POTUS....end of story!

MikeAT @ 2/19/2016 9:00 AM

Sheriff DeWees

Please, don't waste your effort. As you said, Mr Obama has "important" decisions to make, like "Should I use the 9 iron or the 6 wood?" You know he would use the funeral to talk about himself. His words would be at best meaningles, more likely insulting. Thank God he won't be there.

TX Lawman @ 2/19/2016 10:12 AM

I commend Sheriff DeWees! I know he doesn't expect this president or any other President to attend a Police funeral, but the current president is always blasting the police and sending his team to towns he has no business in to glorify a criminal and bash a Police Officer. Percy, the current president is anti-law and pro-crime. Leonard - you aren't worth my time.

@ Chuck W I don't know if you are referring to me, if you are once again you are wrong.

@ MikeAT A 6 wood is almost unheard of in gold and it certainly wouldn't be used to replacea 9 iron, you too are wrong again. But do keep trying.

@TX Lawman says "but the current president is always blasting the police" can you supplyjust one example of this so called blasting? I'm going to go ahead and say no. You also say"the current president is anti-law and pro-crime", yes I believe that was his slogan when theMAJORITY of voters elected him. Perhaps your problem really isn't with him.

Amazes me how you all talk of how this POTUS is somehow promoting violence against LE, yet not one of you can ever site one such example. Give it a rest already.

Visit this cops FB page for fun.facebook.com/joe.hoffman.5477

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